Marcin Gortat achieved many things during his 12 years in the NBA but he ultimately fell short of his goal of winning the NBA Finals.
Speaking with HoopsHype, via Legion Hoops, he revealed that he could have claimed a championship ring.
“I wish that after I was waived by the Clippers, I had gone to the Toronto Raptors. They called me six times, and I didn’t go. I could have been an NBA champion today,” he said.
Marcin Gortat shares his biggest regret during his NBA career:
“I wish that after I was waived by the Clippers, I had gone to the Toronto Raptors. They called me six times, and I didn’t go. I could have been an NBA champion today.”
(via @CyroAsseo / HoopsHype) pic.twitter.com/xbEG1k2ELp
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 23, 2024
By the time he moved to the Los Angeles Clippers, Gortat had already spent many years in the league and was getting older.
After just 47 games with the Clippers, he was waived by the team and would then officially retire from the league a few months later.
But according to Gortat, he had a chance to join the Toronto Raptors, who were on the verge of reaching and winning their first NBA Finals.
If he had only responded to their phone calls, he could have been right beside Kawhi Leonard and the rest of the team as they held the Larry O’Brien trophy above their heads.
Instead, Gortat took some time off for himself but he didn’t stay out of the NBA for long.
In October of 2022, he joined the Washington Wizards as a player development and assistant coach.
He has been with that organization ever since.
Even though Gortat didn’t call the Raptors back and didn’t earn a championship victory, he still has a lot to be proud of.
He spent more than a decade in the league and earned an average of 9.9 points and 7.9 rebounds.
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